A typical fishing rod and reel includes an elongated, flexible rod having a reel and a handle at one end. Fishing line is wound on a rotating line spindle provided in the reel and extended from the line spindle typically through guide loops provided at spaced intervals along the rod. A bait or lure and a hook and sinker are attached to the end of the fishing line and cast into a water body by grasping the handle while tossing the rod in a forward motion.
During fishing, a portion of the fishing line extending from a fishing rod frequently becomes tangled, and therefore, must be cut from the main portion of fishing line wound on the reel. Furthermore, after a cast the hook frequently becomes snagged or hung on stumps and the like, oftentimes rendering it necessary to break the fishing line. Therefore, over time the segment of fishing line wound on the reel becomes increasingly shorter such that it is eventually necessary to replace the fishing line on the reel. This is typically carried out by transferring the fishing line onto the reel from a spool on which replacement fishing line is wound. However, this can be a cumbersome exercise and frequently requires two persons.